Castleford food gurus meet The Queen

The Queen with Richard Holmes, of Cryer and Stott at a garden party in Paris

Castleford food gurus Cryer and Stott say their royal appointment with The Queen will live on in their memory forever.

Staff from Allerton Bywater firm were at the British Embassy in Paris last Thursday, when they served up a seven-tier cheese celebration stack, for Her Majesty, the Duke of Edinburgh and other VIPs.

Richard Holmes, managing director of Cryer and Stott, said: “It was absolutely amazing, one of those days which will live in your memory for ever. It was fantastic.

“The Queen was really interested in why we were there.”

They explained they had created a Duke of Wellington cheese – a Yorkshire/French blue cheese – to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Duke buying the British Embassy.

The team also joked with the Duke of Edinburgh, and met foreign secretary William Hague and his wife Ffion.

The also found a fan in the form of chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton. Britain’s top soldier was so taken by Cryer and Stott’s products that he placed an order for his post-trooping of the colour party.

Business development manager Jemma Flowers, who was also on the Paris trip with Mr Holmes and his wife Clare, said: “ It was surreal. I had a teary moment and started crying. I was stood there thinking, ‘how did we get here?’

“We are a small family run business and we are here with The Queen, all the VIPs, including Bradley Wiggins and the chief commander of the French Army.”

The cheesemongers also secured their first French order from a brasserie, meaning they now export to the home of cheese.